Scenes From A Cryocrypt
by Red Witch
Summary: Shane takes Darkstar and Stingray to pay their respects to the fallen Supertroopers.


**The disclaimer telling you that I don't own any Galaxy Ranger characters has been frozen. Another fic that deals with the consequences of Tangled Web. **

**Scenes From A Cryocrypt**

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Shane asked.

"I'm sure," Darkstar nodded. "I need to see them. I need…I can't explain it but I need to see them."

"I guess it's that whole closure thing," Stingray muttered. All three Supertroopers were standing at the door to the Cryocrypt. "I'm not even sure why **I'm **here. This place gives me the creeps."

"It's not exactly one of my hangouts either," Shane told him. "But this place helped me remember…Why I had to fight. Why I had to go on and not give up."

"Yeah," Stingray said. "I got it. Right. Better go in there and get this over with."

They were about to enter the room when the door suddenly opened. "Eve?" Shane was surprised.

Eve Wheiner was standing there with a security guard. "Goose," Eve's eyes were wet with tears and her voice was eerily calm. "What are you doing here? Come to gloat at my father?"

"No, we wanted to see the others," Shane let out a breath. "Darkstar and Stingray…"

"Oh," Eve said simply. "Didn't you just have a baby?"

"Yes. Eliza Foxx is looking after my daughter," Darkstar said softly. "Just for a few hours."

"Eve…I'm sorry for…" Shane began.

"No you're not," Eve interrupted him.

"I have to know…Why did you…?" Shane began.

"Why did I betray my father? The same reason you did. Because it was the right thing to do," Eve looked defeated. "But I had no idea this would be the result. I just thought…I don't know what I thought. I didn't think of the consequences. I had no idea…He was right. My father. He said I never thought about my actions. That I was too reckless. And now I'm paying the price."

"He was wrong about one thing," Eve looked at him. "It wasn't you who was responsible for destroying our family. In the end the three people really responsible for that was myself, my father and your father. It's a shame really. We're both victims of our parents' obsessions and we both exposed their lies to the world. But we can never be friends again."

"I didn't want it this way," Shane said.

"No one did," Eve shrugged. "Don't worry Goose. I won't come after you. I just wanted to say goodbye before I leave Earth forever. I'm dropping out of the spotlight and getting as far away from the media as I possibly can."

"Your father could still be revived," Shane said. "They could find a cure."

"That's rather unlikely," Eve said. "Anyway I always wanted to live a life outside my father's shadow. And I got my wish. Did you get yours Goose? I hope you realize what price you had to pay for it. I have."

She walked away with the guard. "Whoa and people used to call me a right nutter," Stingray whistled after she left.

"They still do," Darkstar said. "But you can't blame her for feeling the way she does."

"No, you **can't**," Shane let out a breath. "Come on."

They walked inside and looked at the rows of silent people lying in cryogenic coffins. "You know…It's not as cold in here as I thought it would be," Stingray realized.

"Insulation," Shane told him as he placed one hand on a chamber.

Inside the chamber was a brown haired man with a mustache. "Ben Sharpshooter," Darkstar remembered. "He was one of the oldest ones of all of us born at Wolf Den."

"He was a good man and a good friend," Shane said.

"There's Hyena," Stingray looked at another coffin. "We came over from the Australian Base together. Along with a few others. Dingo. Nightclaw. Snakeskin. All good blokes."

"Peridot," Darkstar stood in front of a chamber with a female trooper inside. "She…She was my best female friend growing up. We competed against each other a lot but it was never serious. Until we started taking the genetic enabler…"

"And here's Wheiner," Stingray growled as he stood in front of Wheiner's chamber. "You know, I'm actually glad I came now! It was worth the trip just to see that bastard on ice!"

"I hate to say it but Eve was right. I don't feel any pity for him," Shane said. "I'm not sorry for what happened. In my opinion Wheiner got what he deserved!"

"I think that's something we **all** agree on," Darkstar shuddered as she looked around. "Still to actually stand here and see the damage he's done…"

"Yeah…" Stingray looked around. "I mean, I've thought about them once or twice but…Just seeing them like this. Really hits home. I mean these were our friends. Our mates…Our…We all fought together and to see them like this…"

"This isn't going to be permanent," Shane said. "Stingray you and Darkstar are proof that X-Factor can be removed from a Supertrooper's system. We now know we can reverse the effects! We just have to perfect the treatment…"

"And hope Earth becomes desperate enough to need Supertroopers again," Stingray said bitterly. "Goose, even you know no matter how many well meaning humans you've become friends with, the only way they're ever going to get out is because they're going to be needed to fight."

"Yeah," Shane let out a breath. "And the way things are going it looks like sooner or later Earth **will** be desperate enough. Even so if there is a way…"

"Goose, listen. I ain't saying what happened back then was your fault," Stingray let out a breath. "Looking back on it now…You did what you had to do. But even if you do save 'em, I don't think they're going to forgive you. Especially if they ever find out about you and Walsh."

"Stingray, I've been an outsider all my life," Shane smiled weakly. "I don't expect that to change. If they still don't want anything more to do with me, I'm prepared to accept that. I have accepted that."

"Not all of us hate you, Shane," Darkstar put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Some of us will stand by you. I promise. This time I mean it. I never should have left you alone all those years ago. Maybe if I did stay…"

"You might have been frozen anyway," Shane let out a breath. "I was so sure Commander Walsh would have saved you. I don't even know **that** anymore."

"Well like it or not, you're stuck with us now," Stingray snorted. "And if they can't handle that, well who needs 'em anyway?"

"I don't see…" Darkstar looked around. "No wait…Goose, where's Flashfire? In the morgue?"

"No I…Had him buried already," Shane said. "I know I should have waited for you but that would have meant having what was left of him…I just couldn't **do** that to him. It didn't seem right."

"I understand," Darkstar nodded. "He fought so hard to stay away from the Freezer in life. Having him put on ice after he died…"

"The grave's not far from BETA," Shane said. "It's a nice quiet area. I'll take you there tomorrow."

"He was a good bloke even if he did have his problems," Stingray said.

"I like to think he's at peace now," Shane said softly.

Stingray looked around. "Look, can we get out of here now? I mean we saw them and we saw Wheiner. What's the point of staying here any longer?"

"I think we just needed a reminder that there's still a lot of work left to be done," Darkstar said.

"So we'll put it on the list. Can we **go** already?" Stingray shuddered. "This place gives me the creeps."

"I've had enough," Darkstar nodded.

"Darkstar, while we're here…Do you want to see…?" Shane asked gently.

"No," Darkstar said simply.

"I'm not saying you should forgive Nagata," Shane said. "But you have to confront him sometime."

"He's right Love," Stingray said. "The Doc's got answers only he can give."

"Not now," Darkstar shook her head. "Not yet. I just can't. Can we go now?"

"Sure," Shane nodded. "Let's go home."

"Home, what an odd concept," Stingray shook his head. "For so long we've been running around from planet to planet. And now to finally have a place…On Earth of all things."

"Earth is our home Stingray," Darkstar said. "We may not be completely human but we were **born** here. And so was our daughter. We can't run away from our problems anymore."

"Funny, that's the same lesson Commander Walsh taught me years ago," Shane let out a breath. "Maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought. But every year…Every year we'd come down here to the Cryocrypt to remember and…Darkstar, you're not the only one who's afraid to ask your father questions you might not like the answers to. But at least you have an opportunity to do so."

"I know, but I'm just not ready yet," Darkstar sighed. "I need more time."

"Well you got plenty of it," Stingray said. "Nagata's too valuable to unplug and they're gonna keep that brain box under lock and key for a long time. When you're ready you'll confront him. Now can we get **out **of here already? I'm getting frostbite just looking at all these people?"

"Patient as ever aren't you Stingray?" Shane raised an eyebrow. Stingray shrugged. "For once you're right. Let's go home. And plan our future."


End file.
